Working Memory
Running Count Task
Also called: counter task, Garavan counter task, event counting, serial attention within working memory
Measure the time to switch between two running counts as people count triangles and rectangles shown one at a time.
6-8 minTimed: desktop or laptop with a mouse or trackpad
Free to start: 10 free participants per account, then $0.99 per participant for academic research, or any yearly plan. Try it here first, with no account.
- Papers, 2021 to 2025
- 0
- Evidence grade
- D
- Registered clinical studies
- 0
What it measures
Measures the time to switch between two running counts. Participants count triangles and rectangles separately, press the space bar after each update and report both totals at the end of each list.
Constructs
- Working memory updating
- Switching internal attention
- Maintaining separate counts
Research uses
- Working memory research
- Research on attention switching and age differences
How the paradigm works
The Running Count Task measures switching attention between two totals held in working memory. Triangles and rectangles appear one at a time. Participants add one to the total for the current shape and press the space bar after updating it. Both counts start at zero for each list. The participant reports both totals when the list ends.
More about the paradigm
Following Garavan's counter procedure, lists have an unpredictable length and two orientations of each shape. A repeated shape changes orientation, making the arrival of a new item visible without inserting a delay. Standard lists contain 16 to 25 shapes. This version uses 12 scored lists after two short practice lists. Researchers can set 6 to 24 lists or choose shorter lists of 8 to 15 shapes. List count and length are fixed before the session.
This task keeps two accumulated totals. Keep-Track asks for the latest picture in each named group, Counting Span asks for successive array totals in order, and Memory Updating applies arithmetic changes to numbers in boxes. The simple central shapes and self-paced space presses make Running Count distinct from all three.
Scores
- Count switch costms
- Mean update time after switching shapes minus mean time after repeating a shape, in lists with both totals correct.
- Informational
- Switch update timems
- Mean time for updates after a change of shape, excluding first items and responses under 100 ms.
- Informational
- Repeat update timems
- Mean time for updates after the same shape, excluding responses under 100 ms.
- Informational
- Count accuracy%
- Share of final shape counts reported exactly, in complete lists.
- Higher is better
- Both counts correct%
- Share of complete lists with both totals reported exactly.
- Higher is better
- Absolute count errorscore
- Mean absolute difference between reported and actual totals, in shapes.
- Lower is better
- Anticipationscount
- Update responses under 100 ms in the selected run.
- Informational
- Lists completedcount
- Lists with both final reports.
- Informational
- Correct listscount
- Complete lists with both counts correct.
- Informational
- Planned listscount
- Number of test lists planned for the session.
- Informational
- Valid switch updatescount
- Updates contributing to the mean switch time.
- Informational
- Valid repeat updatescount
- Updates contributing to the mean repeat time.
- Informational
Use and evidence
0 papers from 2021 to 2025 name this task in their title or abstract. That ranks it 494 of 495 test families in our census. See the counts for every test.
Show the numbers
| Year | Papers |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2015 | 0 |
| 2014 | 0 |
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2012 | 0 |
| 2011 | 1 |
| 2010 | 0 |
| 2009 | 0 |
| 2008 | 0 |
| 2007 | 0 |
| 2006 | 1 |
| 2005 | 0 |
| 2004 | 0 |
| 2003 | 0 |
| 2002 | 0 |
| 2001 | 0 |
| 2000 | 0 |
Use grade E
Fewer than 30 papers from 2021 to 2025.
Evidence grade D
Little published measurement evidence found.
- Papers on test-retest reliability
- 0
- Papers on reliability or validity
- 1
- Registered clinical studies using it as an outcome
- 0
How the grades work
Use: A is 1,000 or more papers from 2021 to 2025, B 300 to 999, C 100 to 299, D 30 to 99 and E fewer than 30. Evidence: A means at least 25 papers report its test-retest reliability and at least 25 registered clinical studies use it as an outcome; B, at least 8 test-retest papers, and either 5 registered clinical studies or 150 reliability or validity papers; C, at least 2 test-retest papers, 30 reliability or validity papers or 3 registered clinical studies; D, little published measurement evidence found. The counts measure use. They include every paper that names the task in its title or abstract. Grades describe the published research on this task, not ConductCognition's version of it.
Source: ConductCognition test census 0.22.0, counted 2 November 2026 from OpenAlex and ClinicalTrials.gov.
Task design
The trial sequence as the test runs in ConductCognition.
- Shapes
- Triangles and rectangles, each in two orientations. Consecutive repetitions change orientation.
- Lists
- 12 scored lists of 16 to 25 shapes, with unpredictable lengths.
- Practice
- 2 lists of 8 to 12 shapes with feedback on both totals.
- Pace
- Press the space bar after each count update. The next shape appears immediately.
- Reports
- Type both counts separately at the end of each list, in a seeded random order.
- Settings
- 6 to 24 scored lists; 16 to 25 shapes (standard) or 8 to 15.
- Timing score
- Mean switch minus repeat update time in lists with both totals correct; first items and responses under 100 ms excluded.
This version uses shorter sessions and gives feedback only during practice. Keep-Track retains last category items, Counting Span recalls array totals and Memory Updating changes numbers in boxes. Running Count maintains two cumulative totals.
Quality checks
Each session is marked valid, needs review or invalid, with the reason, before you see its scores.
Scores reports from the most complete run and update times from its correctly counted lists. Fewer than 90% of planned lists invalidates; fewer than three correct lists flags review. Responses under 100 ms follow the timed-test rule.
Why these rules
The final counts check whether both counters were maintained; a useful guessing probability is not defined for free number reports. Time estimates use only lists with both counts correct. Missed responses and responses under 100 ms keep the platform's timed-test rule: more than max(3, 25%) missed responses or more than max(2, 20%) responses under 100 ms invalidate, and any is flagged. A response under 100 ms cannot be a reaction to the stimulus.
No percentile. Scores and quality flags only.
Running this test
Settings you can change
| Setting | Standard | Allowed |
|---|---|---|
| Lists | 12 | 6 to 24 |
| Shapes per list | 16 to 25 (standard) | 16 to 25 (standard), 8 to 15 |
Yearly plans can change settings within these limits. Free and pay-as-you-go studies use the standard settings.
Need a setting this test does not have?
Devices and languages
- Timed test: participants need a desktop or laptop with a mouse or trackpad. Participant devices
- Languages: English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Chinese (Simplified) and Japanese.
- Available on: Every plan, including the free plan.
- No percentile. Scores and quality flags only. How norms work
- Recruiting online? See the setup guides for Prolific, Sona Systems, CloudResearch Connect and Qualtrics.
Cite and describe
Participants completed the Running Count Task in a web browser (ConductCognition task version 1.0.0, scoring version 1.0.0; Garavan, 1998), with the standard settings (lists: 12; shapes per list: 16 to 25). The main score was count switch cost (mean update time after switching shapes minus mean time after repeating a shape, in lists with both totals correct).
ConductCognition versions: task version 1.0.0, scoring version 1.0.0. Every export records the versions each session used, for a methods section.
- Garavan, H. (1998). Serial attention within working memory. Memory & Cognition, 26(2), 263-276. https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03201138Self-paced updates of two separate shape counts, unpredictable list lengths and the switch-versus-repeat timing comparison.
Source papers
Questions
How long does the Running Count Task take?
About 6 to 8 minutes, as listed in the test library.
What device does a participant need?
Timed test: participants need a desktop or laptop with a mouse or trackpad. The browser must be Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari.
What scores does it produce?
Count switch cost, Switch update time, Repeat update time, Count accuracy, Both counts correct, Absolute count error, Anticipations, Lists completed, Correct lists, Planned lists, Valid switch updates and Valid repeat updates. Each session is also marked valid, needs review or invalid, with the reason.
How widely is the Running Count Task used in research?
0 papers from 2021 to 2025 name it in their title or abstract. That ranks it 494 of 495 test families in the ConductCognition test census (use grade E). Source: ConductCognition test census 0.22.0, counted 2 November 2026 from OpenAlex and ClinicalTrials.gov.
How much reliability evidence does the Running Count Task have?
In the published research, 0 papers report its test-retest reliability and 0 registered clinical studies use it as an outcome (evidence grade D in the ConductCognition test census).
Does it report a percentile?
No. Scores and quality flags only.
Which settings can a researcher change?
Lists (6 to 24) and shapes per list (16 to 25 (standard), 8 to 15). Settings can be changed on yearly plans; free and pay-as-you-go studies use the standard settings.
Which languages can participants use?
Participants can take this test in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Chinese (Simplified) and Japanese. English is on every plan, and the other languages come with yearly plans. Have a native speaker read the machine-translated text before launch.
Is this a clinical test?
No. ConductCognition is for research use only. It runs, scores and exports the test; clinical interpretation is outside the platform.
Every test: the full test list.
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